Publisher's Summary

Throughout Maya Angelou's life, from her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to her world travels as a best-selling writer, good food has played a central role. Preparing and enjoying homemade meals provides a sense of purpose and calm, accomplishment, and connection. Now in Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, Angelou shares memories pithy and poignant, and the recipes that helped to make them both indelible and irreplaceable.

Angelou tells us about the time she was expelled from school for being afraid to speak, and her mother baked a delicious maple cake to brighten her spirits. She gives us her recipe for short ribs along with a story about a job she had as a cook at a Creole restaurant (never mind that she didn't know how to cook and had no idea what Creole food might entail). There was the time in London when she attended a wretched dinner party full of wretched people; but all wasn't lost, she did experience her initial taste of a savory onion tart. She recounts her very first night in her new home in Sonoma, California, when she invited M.F.K. Fisher over for cassoulet, and the evening Deca Mitford roasted a chicken when she was beyond tipsy, and created Chicken Drunkard Style. And then there was the hearty brunch Angelou made for a homesick Southerner, a meal that earned her both a job offer and a prophetic compliment: "If you can write half as good as you can cook, you are going to be famous."

Maya Angelou is renowned in her wide and generous circle of friends as a marvelous chef. Her kitchen is a social center. From fried meat pies, chicken livers, and beef Wellington to caramel cake, bread pudding, and chocolate éclairs, the 100-plus recipes included here are all tried and true, and come from Angelou's heart and her home. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table is a stunning collaboration between the two things Angelou loves best: writing and cooking.

I usually "hear" Maya's voice when I read her work, but nothing beats actually listening to her. The "histories" to the recipes are great. "Light" but Pure Maya.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wendy

Seattle, WA, USA

30/11/06

Overall

"Cooking"

This book is a series of seemingly random thoughts triggered by memories of food. Being Maya, they are amusing and wonderfully written, but I felt I was left hanging because of the lack of organization or a stronger thread running through the text. Maybe reading the book would be easier to follow or feel more coherent - since I tend to listen to audiobooks while I do something else (like driving), I need all the help I can get to follow a narration! Of course the print version would not include Maya's wonderful voice with its warmth and humor.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Kim St-Laurent

24/12/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Laughter that tastes so good!"

I absolutely loved this book. With each dish you felt you were there, the characters took such life, felt so familiar, like home! Important lesson where learned. Many times a familiar "uhum", an agreement with what was heard. A whole array of emotions tickled my being! Some stories got me laughing in stitches! It was a pleasant gift to hear this audiobook!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Renee Crews

Washington DC

05/06/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"This book will make you smile."

And make you hungry lol. Mother Maya never disappoints. This is a must read or listen. can't beat hearing it in her words.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Eddie Renz

Plano, TX

29/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Delicious. No, Scumptious."

I did not know that Maya Angelou was a cook - among her many other talents... In this short book your ears get to feast on a number of stories that surround a cornucopia of culinary delights. What I love about Dr. Angelou is her reading of the story herself... It is much more intimate and you feel like you really get to know her as a person. A great listen... But now I must have the recipes!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Theresa

LANCASTER, PA, United States

22/05/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great stories for adults"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, loved the story about people she knows and how her grandmother raised her.<br/>

Who was your favorite character and why?

Maya's Grandmother . Strong and quiet but carries a big stick.

Which character – as performed by Maya Angelou – was your favorite?

The older lady in the church story. That was pretty brash especially for back then

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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